Feeler mechanism for looms



Filed March 14, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheei; l

IINVENTOR LwT W ATTORNEY May 15, 1934. E, BENSON 1,958,463

FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed March 14, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l VENTOR adj-5M, W

ATTORNEY "absence offilling *mayresult in imperfect cloth.

3CF'page onsubstantial exhaustion of filling or -initiate filling replenishment and in case the 'loom'" The invention-and novel features thereof'will' Patented May 15, 1934 PIX-TEN OFFIGE' FEELER; MECHANISM' FOR LOOMS Arthur E.;Benson, Dedham, Mass.

Application :MarchE14, 1933,I Serial N0. 660,627

6 Claims.

This invention relatesto 'fe'ele'r' mechanism for looms whereby the operative "condition of-the loom is' changedfrom time to time, and is more particularly concerned with 'fe'eler mechanisms of 5 the side-slipping typewhich become displaced by the-frntward-pressure-of a surface within the shuttle-whenthe *filling'becomes substantially exhausted.

Feeler mechanisms of the side slipping type are -not new and'various expedients have been devised; and associated-with side slippingfeelers to bring about-a change --in'the loomoperation, such for instance as replenishment of filling'or loom stoppage.

or substantial absence of *filling in the shuttle is a most important'factor' for-the economicrunning of looms and where" the fe'elermechanism functions to initiate replenishment of -filling,'-the' Where the 'feeler initiates loomstoppage any failure of the fe'eler 'to-respond to-substantial One of the objects of the present" invention-is to provide a feeler mechanism of the side slipping type-"which shall be 'simplein' construction and effective in operation eitherto effect lo'om stop is-tdbe-stopped; it is a further object of the invention that suchstoppage shall be-efiected after the depleted shuttle is returned=to 'the detectingbest be made clear from the following description-and accompanying-'-'drawings of one good formthereof.

In the" drawings Fig; 1 is a perspective view-showing the feele'r' mechanism'=of the present invention associated witha loom;-'some of the parts being broken away fo'rclearness-pf illustration;

Fig. Z' is an enlarged plan view' showirig the relation-of parts when=the fe'eler detects a.work-- ing supply of filling in the shuttle-on a detecting beat;

Ffgk 3 isia view similar tothatof Fig. 2 'show- 4 Fig.5 isasection on the'line -5 of Figw3fand Sensitiveness of the feeler either to the presence amountof wasteleft upon a filling carrier or bobbin will dependupon the'response of the-feeler when the filling becomes substantially exhausted-.-

move outwardly when the loom is'to be stopped;

A shoulderfi normally holds the shipper' in loom running position, but. when the shipperisde tachedfrom'the shoulder 5 it will move to loom stopping-position and finallybring the loom to rest.

Secured to the shipper stand 2 is a bracket 6 for the support of the feeler stand 7 on which is .pivotally supported at 8 a swinging armor carrier 9, andpivotallyconnected-to the swingingarm or carrier 9 at 10 is the side slipping feeler 11, the

rear end of which'is provided with a roughened surface or teeth12 for engagement with'the filling "or bobbin within the shuttle on a detecting. beat.

Surrounding the pivotal. axis 8 on the swinging arm or carrier 9 isa spring 13, one end of which is secured to the feeler stand as at 14 and the other or free end of which;15 is connected to the. feeler; the construction being such thatthe spring 13 normally acts to move the swinging arm or car.- rier 9 and the feeler rearwardly to feeling or detecting position as indicated in Fig. 1.

As is more clearly indicated in Figs. 5 and 6 the swinging arm or carrier 9 has a recessed portion:16 on its under surface inwhich the head 17 of a'spring engaging member may be received and travel. as the feeler moves on its pivotal connection 10with. the swinging armor carrier 9. The depth of the recessed portion 16 is such that the end portion of the spring .15 is prevented from. riding up or over the head .17 of the springengag ing member, so that a simple yet effective construction is provided for maintaining the end. of a spring 15 in operative engagement with the feeler.

The spring engaging member may be ;con veniently formed as a headedscrew 18 and in. order that the end 15 of the spring 13 maybe caused to exert more or less energyupon'the' feeler and thereby regulate its sensitiveness the headed screw '18 is adapted to be received in any one of the'openings 19 formed in the elbow portion of the feeler;

Mounted on the feeler stand '7 is a stop 20, Figs; 4 and 5,'which may engage the downwardly extending portion'ofthe pivotal; mounting 10 ofthe feeler to limit the rearward movement of the swinging member or carrier 9 and the feeler.

The lay 21 may be of usual construction and is provided with the detecting shuttle box 22 the front wall 23 of which has an opening 24 adapted to register with a corresponding opening 25 in the front wall of the shuttle 26 when the latter is in the detecting box, with the result that on the detecting beat the feeler will enter the registering slots and be permitted to detect the condition of the filling in the shuttle on a detecting beat.

Mounted on the lay is a bunter 2'7 having a rounded upper surface 23 and a notch 29 for operative engagement with an actuator, presently to be described, for actuating the shipper knockoff. Pivotally mounted at 30 on the shipper stand is the shipper knock-off 31, the outer end portion of which bears against the side of the shipper 4 when the latter is in running position, and pivotally connected to the shipper knock-off at 32 is the shipper knock-off actuator 33 having a slot 34 which is engaged by an arm 35 of a transmitter between the feeler and the actuator.

The transmitter, designated as a whole A, has a rearwardly projecting finger 36 and cooperating with the finger 36 of the transmitter is the tail portion 37 of the feeler, the construction being such that when the feeler is in loom running position, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, the finger 36 will rest upon the tail 3'7 of the feeler, thereby holding the actuator 33 in its upward or inoperative position.

The transmitter A is preferably formed of two members, one of which as 38 carries the finger 36 and the other member 39 of which carries the arm 35 which engages the actuator 33.

The two member construction of the transmitter lends itself favorably to separate or independent adjustment of the two members thereof, so that the arms 35 and 36 may be properly associated with their cooperating parts.

In order that the transmitter may have its two members integrated or connected, the two members 38 and 39 are joined by a connection 40 carrying the lugs 41 and 42 to which the two members of the transmitter are secured by binding screws 43.

The transmitter member is mounted for rocking movement in the lugs 44 and 45 extending from the shipper stand and since the connector 40 extends laterally from the longitudinal axis of the transmitter, such connection acts as a weight normally tending to turn the transmitter in a contra-clockwise direction with the finger 36 resting upon the tail 37 of the feeler to maintain the actuator 33 in its upward or inoperative relation with the bunter 27.

From the construction thus far described it will be apparent that on each detecting beat of the lay, the feeler will enter the shuttle in the detecting box and feel for the filling. If a working supply of filling is present the feeler will be subjected to a frontward push while its teeth 12 may sink into or engage the filling with non-slipping contact and the swinging arm or carrier 9 will be moved frontwardly with the feeler while the tail 3'? of the feeler still maintains the transmitter in position with the actuator 33 in upward or inoperative position. Should, however, the feeler detect a substantial exhaustion of filling in the shuttle it will side slip, as indicated in Fig. 3, under the frontward push of the bobbin as the lay beats and the tail 37 of the feeler will be moved laterally, as indicated in Fig. 3, to thereby position the finger 36 for downward movement as the transmitter rocks contra-clockwise under the action of the connector 40. At this time, however, the lay will have substantially reached its frontward position or will be closely approaching such position and the actuator 33 will drop upon the top surface of the bunter, as indicated in Fig. 4. This drop movement is permitted by reason of the fact that the slot or opening 34 in the actuator is sufficiently wide to permit the arm 35 of the transmitter tomove downwardly in the slot and thereby free the actuator to downward movement into engagement with the top of the bunter.

With the parts in the position last described after detection of substantial exhaustion of filling, the lay will move back, the shuttle in the detecting box be picked to the opposite shuttle box, and as the lay moves back the actuator 33 will drop off of the top of the bunter into operative position as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4, so that on the next beat up movement of the lay with the shuttle in the non-detecting box, the bunter will engage the actuator and cause frontward movement thereof, with the result that the shipper knock-off will be actuated to detach the shipper from its holding notch and permit the shipper to move to loom stopping position. The momentum of the loom parts after the shipper has'been moved to stopping position and the lay moves back again will cause the shuttle to be returned to the detecting box and the loom will come to rest with the denuded shuttle in the detecting box where it may be removed by the loom attendant, and a fresh filling carrier inserted.

When the finger 36 is freed from engagement with the tail 3'? of the feeler, the finger will drop as indicated in Fig. 3, and thereafter act to hold the feeler in its side swiped position.

In accordance with the present invention resetting means is provided to reset or move theactuator into its inoperative position and permit the tail 3'7 of the feeler to again underlie the finger 36 of the transmitter.

In the present instance of the invention the transmitter has a resetting toe 46 secured thereto and extending frontwardly from the transmitter, while the shipper 4 is provided with a lug or projection 47 so that as the shipper moves to its loom stopping position the projection 4''! of the shipper will engage the resetting lug 46 of the transmitter and turn the transmitter clockwise viewing Fig. 1, thereby resetting the feeler mechanism into loom running position, so that after the correction of the fault in the shuttle the loom attendant has simply to move the shipper from its stopping to its running position and the loom will at once respond and weaving be continued.

What is claimed is:

1. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combintion of the lay having a bunter, a shipper knockoff actuator adapted to be operated by the bunter on the lay, a side slipping filling feeler having a frontwardly extending tail portion, a transmitter connected to the actuator and having a projection to rest upon the tail of the feeler and hold the actuator out of operative position until the feeler side slips on a detecting beat and thereupon permitting the actuator to drop onto and be supported by the bunter and thereafter to move into operative position relative to the lay carried bunter as the lay goes back and be actuated on the next beat up of the lay to effect loom stoppage with the shuttle in the detecting shuttle box.

2. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of the lay having a bunter, a shipper knock-off actuator adapted to be operated by the bunter, a side slipping filling feeler having a frontwardlyextending tail portion, a transmitter connected to the actuator and having a projection to rest upon the tail of the feeler and hold the actuator out of operative position until the feeler side slips on a detecting beat and thereupon permitting the actuator to drop off the bunter and move into operative position as the lay goes back and be actuated on the next beat up of the lay to effect loom stoppage with the shuttle in the detecting shuttle box, and means actuated by the shipper movement to stopping position to reset the transmitter and feeler.

3. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of the lay having a bunter, a shipper knock-ofi actuator adapted to be operated by the bunter, a side slipping filling feeler having a frontwardly extending tail portion, a transmitter connected to the actuator and having a projection to rest upon the tail of the feeler and hold the actuator out of operative position until the feeler side slips on a detecting beat and thereupon permitting the actuator to drop off the bunter and move into operative position as the lay goes back and be actuated on the next beat up of the lay to effect loom stoppage with the shuttle in the detecting shuttle box, a resetting lug extending from the transmitter and a part actuated by shipper movement to stopping position to engage the resetting lug to turn the transmitter to initial position.

4. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler stand, a link pivotally mounted on the feeler stand, a side slipping filling feeler pivotally mounted on the link and having a frontwardly extending tail, a shipper and shipper knock-off, an actuator connected to the shipper knock-off, a hunter on the lay for operating the actuator to efiect loom stoppage, a transmitter connected to the actuator and having a projection normally resting on the tail of the feeler to hold the actuator out of operative position until detection of substantial exhaustion of filling and thereupon acting to lock the feeler in its side displaced position and cause the actuator to be supported by the hunter on the lay out of operative position until the lay goes back that the loom may be stopped on the next beat up with the shuttle in the detecting box.

5. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler stand, a link pivoted on the feeler stand and having a recess in its under surface, a side slipping filling feeler pivotally mounted on said link, a spring coiled about the pivot of the link and having one end to act upon the feeler, and a spring engaging member on the feeler having a spring engaging head housed in the recess of the link to prevent escape of the end of the spring as the feeler and link are relatively moved.

6. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of the lay having a bunter, a shipper and shipper knock-o1'f, an actuator operatively associated with shipper knock-off, a side slipping feeler having a tail portion, a swinging carrier on which the feeler is pivotally mounted for side slipping movement by the frontward push of a substantially exhausted filling carrier on a detecting beat, a transmitter between the feeler and actuator and having a projecting portion which rests upon the tail of the feeler until the feeler side slips and then drops to one side of the feeler tail to lock the feeler in side swiping position and the transmitter to turn and place the actuator on top of the hunter in an inoperative position on the detecting beat and then move 119 into operative position as the lay goes back that the loom may be stopped on the next beat up movement of the lay with the depleted shuttle in the detecting shuttle box.

ARTHUR E. BENSON. 

